Grouting attachment for concrete pumps



c. I. LONGENECKER GROUTING ATTACHMENT FOR CONCRETE PUMPS Filed. July 12, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR. Lolggeuecfiei',

Charles BY.

ATTOR EY Dec. 16, 1947. c. 1. LONGENECKER 2,432,671

GROUTING ATTACHMENT FOR CONCRETE PUMPS Filed July 12, 1945 2 sheets sheet 2 av /3 5115% V ATTOR Y Patented Dec. 16, 1947 UNI TED STATES PATENT OFFICE .Charles I. 'Lo'ngenecker, Wauwat-osa, ,Wis., "assignor'to Chain'Belt Company, -Milwaukee,'-W1s., a corporation or Wisconsin Application July 12, 1945;,Serial No.'1604,59,0

3Claims. 1

The invention relates to concretepumps, more particularly those of the type disclosed and claimed in U. "S. 'PatentNo. 2,017,975 granted October 22, 1935, to J acobuslC. Kooyman, and has forits principal object the provision of an attachment for such a pump whereby it may-be efiicientlyemployedlfor the pumping of grout, mortar .or similar materials which are devoid of the coarse aggregate which constitutes an essential constituent of the concrete mixtures which the pumps are primarily designed to handle.

As is now well known to those skilled inthe art, and as will be clear from the above. mentioned patentithe valvesoftthese pumps are deliberately provided with clearances which, while not suflicientlylgreat to permit passage 'of the coarse aggregate through them, are still large enough to allow at least-the finer portions of the small aggregate, and .the water-cement paste which constitutes the binder, to pass or work. through them. L'I'hese clearance may be on theorderof 1 of an inch when the parts are new, but the pumps will still handle concrete mixtures efiectively even though the clearances-may be increased through wear up to say or of an inch.

Clearances of this order are of course quite contrary to accepted practiceinvalves for liquid orgas pumps, and are permissible in concrete Work only because of the-presence of the large aggregate in the mixture. However,- since grout or mortar contains-no such large aggregate, whereby at least anappreciable portion of such a mixture will more or less readily pass or work its-way througha clearance of even 1% of an inch, obviously the pumps are not effective for the handling of such grout or mortar mixtures.

The present inven-tion'however provides a relatively simple device comprising a valve body or housing which may be quickly and easily attached to and detached from a pump of the above type beyond theoutlet valve thereof, which housing is provided --with inlet and outlet ports controlled by valves other than those of the pump and which are so constructed and arranged as to be capable of efficiently handling materials that are-devoid of stowage-inducing aggregates, whereby the pump may beemployed to force grout, mortar or similar materials through the pipe line. The attachment comprises relatively few 'parts, which are so constructed and arranged as to facilitate their disassembly and reassembly for purposes of cleaning at the conclusion of use or at other times.

AA typicalexarnple .of the grout 'hand'ling attachment is illustrated in .the accompanying drawings forming a partof :this specification, in which:

.Figure '1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the valves, charging hopper and a portion of the working cylinder of a concrete pump of the general type mentioned above, 'with'one form of grout handling device. in accordance'with the invention in operative position relative thereto;

Fig.2 is an enlarged end elevational view of;the device, as seen from the left of .Fig. 1;

Fig.3 is .a horizontal sectional view, ,on approximately the plane indicatedby the linej3'3 in Fig. 2, looking down; and

Fig.4 is. a -detail cross sectional "view on-the plane indicated by lined-4 ofl ig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

.In. the said "drawings; 10 indicatestheworking cylinder of the pump, in which a' piston. or plunger ll: reciprocates to alternately draw concrete'mixture into the-cylinder'froma hopper l2 throughaninlet passage :13 controlled by a valve 14, and to expel such-mixture throughan outlet passage l5icon'trolled by valve 16. The valves l4 and 16 arenormally oscillated in appropriately "timed relation to the movements of the piston H adapted .tof, be. readily-ldetachably. connectedi to and supported by 'thiscoupling .meansin, lieuof the first section ofathetpipe .line,..and .as' here shown .it comprises .a Teshaped. body..member.. 20 providing.a..horizontal-chamber ,or passage 2 adapted to aline with and form a continuationof the passage IS. 'The inner endv portion, of the .body member. 20 is. provided with .a .gflange 22' for reception between. the .opposed jawsw l8 of the coupling, where it. is detachably retained inv position by wedges 19..Theouter end-of the-passage 2| communicateswith .atransverse passage23 having annular members .24 and.'2.5 positioned at'its respective ends ,andproviding seats 26 and 21 forlthe inlet and. outlet valveballs 2.8. and 29. An inlet chamber or'boxtfl isldisposedlbelow the valve seat member ffl and asimllar member 31 surmounts the outlet valve eat annulus 25. A plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending rods or ribs 32 is provided in the passage or chamber 23 for guiding the inlet valve ball 28, and similar rods or ribs 33 are provided in the outlet chamber 3| for the valve ball 2'9.

From what has been thus far described, it will be seen that the device comprises five separable elements, viz. the body member 29, the two valve seat members 24 and 25, and the inlet and outlet chambers or boxes 39 and 3|. These may be conveniently clamped and retained in operative but readily disassemblable relation by means of a chain 35, the respective ends of which are provided with threaded rods 36 carrying adjusting nuts 31, which rods are receivable in slots or apertures 38 provided in the end portions of a bar 39 which is secured to or positioned on the top of the box 3|, all as will be clear from Figs. 1 and 2. A semi-circular guide member 39 may be secured to the inlet box 39 to position and guide the chain about the lower end of the device.

While in handling grout or mortar mixtures the likelihood of the pipe line becoming plugged is not asgreat as when handling concrete mixtures, nevertheless that danger exists to some extent, and since the pressures developed by these pumps are relatively high, it is desirable to provide for their relief in case plugging should occur, in order that parts of the pump and/or the attachment will not be broken or otherwise damaged. Such relief is also desirable at the time when, in pumping grout into a closed cavity, the cavity becomesfilled.

To this end, the present device is preferably provided with a relief valve, comprising a housing 4! secured to the body member 20 and sur rounding a sleeve 42 which communicates with the passage 23 through a port 43, into which the said sleeve may be press-fitted. A cap member id is secured to the outer end of the housing 4!, with a flexible diaphragm 45 having its periphery clamped between these two members, as Will be clear from Fig. 1. This diaphragm carries a valve disk 49 which is normally seated against the end of the sleeve 42 by means of a compression spring l! which is interposed between a pair of spring cups 48 and 49, the former of which is secured to the diaphragm 45 and valve disk 48 by a bolt 50, and the latter of which is adjustable within the cap 44 by means of a set screw i, whereby the force exerted by the spring may be varied as desired. The housing 4| is provided with a port 52 through which the grout may be discharged when the valve disk 46 is unseated.

When it is desired to pump grout by means of a pump of the type mentioned above, the present device is attached to the discharge passage of the pump by the coupling members [8, I9, 22, the pipe line for conducting the grout to the point of use is connected to the discharge passage 31 of the outlet chamber or box 3|, and the inlet passage 39 of the chamber 30 is connected to any appropriate source of grout supply. The valve operating mechanism for the outlet valve it of the pump is disconnected or otherwise rendered inoperative, and the said valve is suitably blocked or otherwise held in the open position shown in Fig. 1. The inlet passage l3 leading from the pump hopper l2 to the inlet valve [4 is sealed by an imperforate plate 53 which is introduced into a transverse aperture 59 with which the hopper base I2 is normally provided, as in prior U. S. Patent No. 2,123,583 granted March 4 12, 1938, on an application filed by Charles F. Ball. Thus, the sucking of air into the working chamber of the pump through the inlet passage [3 and valve [4, and/or the forcing of the grout outwardly therethrough, is prevented.

If the pump piston ll be now reciprocated in its usual manner, upon its suction stroke it will draw grout into the working chamber of the pump through passage 30', chamber 39, past valve 23, passages 23, 2| and I5, and valve IB, while on its working stroke the piston will force the mixture out past valve 29 and through chamber 3| and passage 3| to the pipe line. Should the latter become plugged, or should a cavity into which the grout is being pumped become filled, the increase in pressure in the passages 2| and 23 of the device will overcome the force exerted by the spring 41, whereupon the relief valve 46 will open and the grout will be discharged through the port 52.

What is claimed is:

1. In a grouting attachment for reciprocatingpiston concrete pumps of the type having inlet and discharge passages which are controlled by valves provided with clearances making them unsuitable for grout: the combination of a body member having communicating longitudinal and cross passageways, a separable valve seat member positioned at each end of the cross passageway; a grout chamber readily detachably mounted by each of said seat members; a valve cooperable with each of said seat members, whereby the admission and discharge of grout to and from the passageways may be controlled; and adjustable flexible means passing around and readily separably retaining said chambers, valve seat and body members in assembled relation.

2. A grouting attachment according to claim 1, wherein the means for separably retaining the elements in assembled relation comprises a length of chain passed around the elements and having its ends adjustably and detachably secured to one of them.

3. In apparatus for the pressural transportation of, settable plastic mixtures in confined streams, comprising a concrete pump of the type having mixture inlet and outlet passages controlled by valves which are provided with cearances rendering them unsuitable for handling materials which are devoid of stowage-inducing constituents, an auxiliary mechanism for enabling the pressural movement of grout and the like by said pump, comprising a housing secured to the pump beyond the outlet valve thereof, said housing having grout inlet and outlet passages and a passage providing communication between them and the outlet passage of the pump; valves capable of efficiently handling materials lacking stowage-inducing constituents, disposed in said housing for controlling the inlet and outlet passages thereof; and means for closing the inlet passage of the pump to prevent ingress of air and egress of grout therethrough.

CHARLES I. LONGENECKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 7 Date 643,972 Page et a1 Feb. 20, 1900 1,147,286 Welch July 20, 1915 2,012,944 Ball Sept. 3, 1935 2,123,583 Ball July 12, 1938 

